Lost and Found
by citia
Summary: Rikki and Zane think they're in for some major partying and fun when they're invited to fabulous Las Vegas, but little do they know of a deceptive monster lurking in the shadows. Will they be able to cope through the effects of an evil witch's curse?
1. Chapter 1

Note: I know the summary wasn't very descriptive, but I'm glad you decided to read my story anyway! As soon as I get a few more chapters up I promise a better summary. Also, the title won't make sense to you after reading just this one chapter. You'll see...you'll see...

Disclaimer: I no own.

* * *

A frosty breeze wafted through the small bedroom, lifting goosebumps along Rikki's skin. She snuggled deeper into the sheets, searching for the body of heat that had abandoned her. She came up empty, opening her eyes to stare quizzically at the empty half of the bed. In the dim, bluish light, she could make out her own heavily decorated room, quiet and untouched as it was when she had gone to sleep. The tiny sliding-glass window had been opened partially, and the curtains were billowing slowly. She squinted hard but couldn't find the infamous ghostly glow of the full moon.

"So eager to leave," Rikki mumbled to herself. Yawning, she crept out of her room.

The kitchen and the living room, tightly cramped in the same space, were empty. The front door was shut and the only perceptible sound was the ever-constant rumble of the ocean just outside the trailer.

"Zane?" she asked loudly, confused.

"Out here, sweetheart!" came Zane's muffled voice from the direction of the backyard.

She found him sitting on the porch just outside the backdoor, his Blackberry to his ear. "She just woke up---Yup, sitting right next to me." He grasped her arm and pulled her down to sit next to him. He continued to speak, shrugging out of his jacket. Rikki draped it over herself and leaned her head on her boyfriend's shoulder to listen to the conversation.

"…You should've seen me. I was _glorious_." Lewis said ecstatically from the speaker.

"Bet Cleo just told you that," Zane replied, putting an arm around his own girlfriend. "You just got lucky."

"You don't get lucky in this kind of game, mate. It takes skill and patience and confidence and---"

"Luck," Zane stated doubtfully.

"What's going on?" Rikki asked.

"Rikki!" Lewis cried. "Hey, Zane, let me tell her myself!"

Zane pushed the button for the speakerphone.

"You won't believe it, Rikki! I won one hundred grand! One hundred grand! In American dollars playing a game called Texas Hold 'Em two hours ago! Yeah! That's right! And guess what I'm gonna do? I'm sending you, Zane, Emma, and Ash to Vegas to join in the fun!"

Rikki laughed along with Zane. She was now extremely excited, for she had never been to America, let alone Las Vegas.

"Am I a good friend or what?" Lewis asked.

"You sure are generous," Rikki replied, "but---uhm---you do realize Emma and Ash are both still in college right?"

"I figured that out," Lewis said sheepishly, as he usually did when he got yelled at by Ash or Emma, who have been incredibly stressful since they both got into the University of Sydney. "Is it really five in the morning back home?"

"Yes," answered Zane, "but the moon's gone early."

"I don't know what time it is here. They don't have clocks in _any _of the casinos!"

"Sounds like fun," Rikki told Lewis. She looked to Zane. "Are we going?"

"I haven't got anything planned for the next few days. You?"

"Nope," Rikki chirped. Ever since they finished high school, a year ago, it's been nothing but partying together, traveling together, working various jobs (and quickly being fired) together, and living together. Mr. Bennett had kicked his son out of his house and destroyed all hopes of any financial inheritance for several ludicrous reasons, all regarding the protection of his business image and swelled up ego. Luckily, Zane and Mr. Chadwick had developed a sort of bond, not exactly father-son type, but definitely close. Mr. Chadwick allowed the eighteen year-old boy residence on the couch in the living room, though he always snuck into Rikki's, in return for the promise of supporting himself with his own job. You must understand, Mr. Chadwick was getting old and wasn't so serious about the world that had been hard on him for so long. He was easier to please, slower to anger, and his overall personality was, to not overly exaggerate, jolly.

Rikki and Zane absolutely adored living on the edge, doing spur of the moment things. They felt strange fetishes for getting into trouble, particularly the sort that required lots of risk-taking. It made them feel unstoppable, happy, and forever-young. A long time ago…about two months prior to this night…they had a conversation where they unexpectedly decided they would not ruin their perfect lives with college or marriage. They so firmly believed in living life to its fullest. No rules, no limitations. It was just them two, living like the king and queen of the whole damn universe.

Though it seemed as if Lewis and Cleo were also on a vacation of their own, they weren't. Lewis, the science geek he was, was accepted into Stanford University, a prestigious school in the US. He had his mind set on becoming a great scientist. All that kept him from doing this was the money needed for his Stanford tuition…which explains why he was in Las Vegas. Cleo tagged along because, though she never told anyone but Rikki and Emma, she had her mind set on marrying Lewis as soon as she could. Imagine!

"Rikki?" Zane asked gently, putting his phone down, "we could go now."

"Now? Now right now?" she murmured, her mind becoming fazed with thought. What would her father think? Sure, they traveled off to far places before, but never _this _suddenly.

She didn't need to know exactly whyZane wanted to leave so badly, his eyes twinkled with anticipation and eagerness. She was accustomed to doing things without thinking, and figured she'd play along if Zane was planning something. Funny how the only person she wasn't stubborn with was him. All she wanted to know was _how_ they could get to the airport and expect a flight to Vegas when they got there. Then again, she wasn't too familiar with the power of money.

"I can arrange two third-class seats for us now and we could be in America by tomorrow. Lewis, of course, would take care of our hotel rooms. Uhm…" he trailed on, rubbing the back of his neck, "if you don't mind, Cleo says you shouldn't worry about bringing clothes. She wants to buy them all there."

"She's a shopoholic and I wouldn't have her any other way," Rikki said cheerfully, mentally acknowledging the fact that she needed a new wardrobe anyway.

Zane couldn't resist her smiling lips, planting a chaste kiss on her before she could say another word.

"But I think," Rikki said, then paused briefly to realign her swirling train of thought, "we should pack a few things, for the flight, you know…"

His girl was smart, Zane knew. He quickly texted Lewis: "book r room now b4 u lose all the $."

Rikki laughed as he pressed send. Then she pulled him back for another kiss. Life grew to feel more like a dream every second she was with him.

In no time at all, Zane had called a cab to the trailer and Rikki was finishing up a goodbye note:

"Dad,

Zane and I are going to Las Vegas. That's in America. Don't worry, we aren't getting married. We'll be back in no later than a week. I'll keep in touch, of course! We're meeting Lewis and Cleo and maybe Emma and Ash…Maybe.

No need to get mad at Zane. I'm the one who wanted to go=)

Please stay sane.

Love you!"

She quickly reread the note and stuck it on the fridge. As she crept outside the front door, she paused to listen to her father's hearty snore, which was only this loud shortly before he would wake up. Slinging her half-full backpack over her shoulder, she ran to her seat next to Zane and the cab zoomed off.

"Goodbye, ocean!" Rikki waved at the frothy sea as they left the coast and entered deep into the city. She had just learned from Zane that Las Vegas was in the desert.

"It's a cool place," said Zane, recalling his only visit to the city. "There's a lot to do. Nice shows, bars, and casinos. Lots of buffets… There're probably lots of pretty girls out there…Hmm…"

Rikki coughed.

"I'm kidding! American girls are hideous and slutty compared to you." Zane complimented this compliment with a kiss that lasted until the cab came to a stop.

"That'll be twenty-three dollars, sir," the driver stated gruffly.

Rikki giggled quietly as the hood of the car popped open and dark black smoke filled the periwinkle blue morning sky.

The driver preoccupied himself with loud, shocked cursing. Rikki and Zane made a clean getaway if not noisy. Many people stared at them as they ran, laughing raucously, through the crowds.

When the got caught up in long lines (to get tickets, scanning, boarding, etc.) the two were attached at the side, hugging each other tightly, and whispering nonsense into the other's ear.

The flight was…bumpy. Third-class was full of loud, angry people and whiny children. Rikki and Zane amused themselves by making fun of random people they caught sight of.

The LAX airport in Los Angeles was larger than the first airport they had gone to. The lines were longer, the noise was stronger, and they saw a substantially greater amount of crying, laughing, and other emotional outbursts. America sure seemed exciting.

They arrived at 7 PM and were found by the limo drivers Lewis sent at midnight, though the wait at the airport seemed much shorter. Zane apparently couldn't get enough of impersonating Americans.

"Cut it out," Rikki said when she saw the driver's sharp look the rear view mirror.

Zane cleared his throat before becoming perfectly civilized. "How much longer 'til we reach our destination, sir?"

"From Los Angeles to Las Vegas is about four hours if we can avoid traffic," answered the driver, his voice flat and boring. It instantly lulled Rikki to sleep in Zane's arms.

When she woke, the sky was lightening. Through her window she could see reddish rocks and round cacti. In the far distance she saw a thin line of flickering lights. Before she could bring herself to identify it, Zane's velvety voice whispered into her ear. "We're almost there. Go back to sleep."

She did as she was told, but woke abruptly to a familiar voice.

"Rikki! Oh my gosh, it's been so long!"

Cleo Sertori, appearing more stylish in a purple designer tank, was pressing her flawless face against the dark glass. Rikki could hear the echo of several cars beeping and saw that she was in a parking lot, waiting behind two other cars to be dropped off at the resort entrance.

Rikki rolled down the window. Cleo's shrieking only grew louder, so she hurriedly pushed open the car door and stepped out. Cleo dusted off her friend's wrinkled T-shirt.

"One year, three months, and two days and I still haven't stopped thinking about you," Cleo giggled, embracing Rikki lovingly.

"Missed you too, Cleo," Rikki said uneasily. Cleo's girlishness was just a little too much for her.

As she caught Lewis, just walking out of the crystalline entrance doors, she returned the funny grin. He appeared…older. Only a year had passed and he was wearing a brown suede suit and pulling his long yellow hair back with a shiny gel. It seemed that the khaki shorts and fishing hat wearing boy in her memory was a different person altogether. She could tell Lewis hadn't lied about the one hundred grand.

"Come here," said Lewis, his arms outstretched. Then there seemed to be a competition between the boys over who could give the girls the biggest bear hug.

The four entered the hotel after Lewis generously tipped the limo driver.

The newcomers watched Lewis saunter to the reception desk, cutting everyone in line. He flashed his credit card and recited, "A premier suite for my friends over there…Helen. Oh, and good you bring over some more pillows to my own suite?"

"Of course, sir. Pillows for suite 2214 and here are the keys for suite 2215."

"Thank you, Helen," said Lewis, giving out another large tip.

He, arm in arm with Rikki and Cleo, marched through the large, crowded passageways, a one foot made between them and the other guests wherever they went. Ridiculous-looking, yes, thought Zane, who was trailing behind quietly, also wondering if Lewis had forgotten about him. The proud look on his face read that there was nothing but air in his now enormous head.

Rikki gazed at the flashing slot machines, rows and rows of poker tables, and retro bars with desire.

"You guys'll have the room next to ours, on the twenty-second floor," said Cleo as they waited in the elevator. "You'll love it! It's huge!"

"That was an understatement," said Rikki with a gasp when she finally saw their suite.

It was more of a high-rise apartment, the furniture modern and elegant and a whole wall overtaken by sheer windows overlooking the bustling Strip. Lewis had bought his two friends a living room, two bathrooms, numerous walk-in closets, a dining room complete with small kitchen, and a cavernous master bedroom.

"Well," Lewis sighed. He dropped into one of the living room couches. "This is it. I hope you do love it."

"How much did you pay for this?" Zane asked.

"I don't know," Lewis answered honestly. "But I should have enough to pay for at least a week's accommodation here. Maybe longer if I hit the casino today."

"Oh no you don't," said Cleo reproachfully. "We're going shopping today, remember? A promise is a promise."

Lewis and Zane groaned.

"Actually, Cleo, I'm a little tired. I should probably stay here while you girls go," said Zane. "And I think Lewis'll want to stay to. Right?"

"Right."

"But _Lewis_," Cleo began. Then she stopped, remembering how much she hated arguments. Instead, she turned to Rikki. "I bought you a few things the other day. Come to my suite." She took Rikki's hand and led her out the room, leaving Lewis and Zane to make a run for it.

Cleo and Lewis's suite was substantially messier than Rikki and Zane's as well as filled with what looked like tons of shopping bags. Cleo shuffled through these and came up with a bundle of clothing. In Rikki's opinion, they were all too girly, bright, or expensive. Then, "Red is _so _your color," Cleo said as she handed her a small pink Victoria Secret bag.

Rikki peeked in for a second and was immediately blushing redder than a tomato.

"Oh, Rikki, it's not like Zane won't like you in it. Besides, we're in Vegas, babe! Anything goes here!"

Rikki didn't say a word.

…

Cleo was sipping a Coke in the kitchen when Rikki finally stepped out of a closet. She was wearing a sleeveless blue shirt, short-shorts, and flip-flops: what she usually wore back on the Gold Coast.

"Wear heels…and something tighter," Cleo said with a smile. "You never know who you might meet."

Rikki opened her mouth to speak in Zane's defense, but she was interrupted by a little voice in her head: "Wouldn't that be fun?"

"To make you more comfortable," said Cleo thoughtfully, unbuttoning her short cashmere jacket to reveal a lavender tube top, "I guess I could show a little skin too."

Both girls laughed, posing for Cleo's brand new digital camera, as they made their way out the hotel.

"Treasure Island, eh?" Rikki inquired, realizing the name of the resort and casino for the first time. "Did you choose this place for a specific reason?"

Cleo shook her head while swiftly paying a limo driver. "_I _didn't get to choose. Lewis did. I thought this place would have a pirate theme, but…" She pointed to a life-size, black marble display of a coven full of mermaids.

"Lewis," Rikki muttered. "I'm starting to think he likes the whole 'mermaid' thing more than we do."

"You can't blame him. How would he understand anyway?"

"True." The limo pulled out of the parking lot and onto the Strip, where Rikki was immediately captivated by the immense party scene. Youth everywhere and catchy music heard from everywhere, at noon? She couldn't wait until the sun went down.

"Rikki, can I ask you something?"

"Yes?" Rikki said cautiously. Remembering what was in the Victoria Secret bag, she gained the impression that the girl was far more mature than she was.

Cleo leaned in to whisper into her ear. "Are you still a virgin?"

Rikki pulled back, a bit afraid to answer. When Cleo wouldn't look away, she sighed.

"Yes."

"Why?"

"Saving myself for the man I marry," Rikki explained half-heartedly. She really just didn't feel ready.

"Uhm," Cleo began doubtfully, "the man seems like Zane! Really, I bet this trip is the longest time you've spent apart from that boy in ages."

Her friend groaned. "And I take it you're not still as pure as I thought you were?"

Cleo flashed an evil grin. "We've done it everyday since we first got here," she disclosed scandalously. "I hope the same happens to you and Zane."

Rikki's face contorted into a look of disgust. "Am I really hearing this?"

"Really," said Cleo, nodding her head.

Rikki shook her head and glared. "Shameless."

Cleo laughed.

…

"I want to go to the best casino you've been too," Zane told his friend as they walked on the concentrated sidewalks of the Strip.

"Er," Lewis murmured, drawing his head up to see the sun beating down on them. "I'm only lucky at night. Besides…I'm getting hungry."

Zane, though surprised Lewis wasn't acting as ecstatic about gambling as he expected, shrugged his shoulders and said, "We passed by a hotdog stand a little while ago."

"Nah. I'm in the mood for Italian." He eyed the Venetian, a very Venice-themed hotel.

"If we're going to a restaurant, shouldn't we bring the girls?"

"No," Lewis stated quickly.

"Are you up to something?"

"Uh, no. I'm just---just really, really hungry."

Zane didn't buy it. "The Venetian doesn't seem like there are too many good places to eat right now," he said as they neared the hotel. There were elaborate stone sculptures and a long river which carried long, decorated gondolas. "Seems really fancy. Lots of shops I see, too."

"Oh, I know this place better than you do," Lewis said, bothered.

After a while, after Zane had seen the vast interior shopping part of the hotel, he threw Lewis a look and smirked.

"Alright. I'd take you to the casinos, but I have something incredibly…incredible for Cleo tonight and I'm, y'know, a bit delusional? I was going to come out here later myself, alone, but I couldn't help it."

"Easy there, mate," Zane said. Lewis was being a motor mouth. "I get the picture. You're going to reserve a place at a fancy restaurant, plan a big romantic song. You got the ring or what?"

"Sorry, man, I know you don't like shopping…"

"Hey, it's okay. I'm really happy for you."

"You really think she'll say yes?"

"Positive."

"Thanks," said Lewis, exhaling deeply, "I needed that."

…

Cleo had really outdone herself at the shops.

"I think I'm set for a lifetime," said Rikki, looking at the many shopping bags and boxes they'd acquired in just a few hours.

"Yeah, yeah. I just wanted to spend the money soon, before Lewis wants to play another game of poker. He just got lucky that one time, you know."

"Shouldn't he be saving for school?"

"I know, right? Hey, did I tell you I want to become a nurse?"

"Wow. You're going to put yourself through four years of college and who knows how long in med school?"

"I just said I wanted to be a nurse. That shouldn't take more than four, right? I want a job, Rikki, so I can support myself."

"I thought you wanted to get married to Lewis and be a stay-at-home mom?"

"Well…we've been dating for two and a half years…" Cleo stared into space, longing and disappointment clear on her face.

"Listen," said Rikki, sounding half-concerned, half-annoyed, "you guys are more compatible than peanut butter and jelly! He's never left your side, even when you got that tail. I can see it and so can everyone else; it's obvious, woman, you guys are perfect for each other. You've known each other since you were kids and you know him well enough to know he's gonna propose to you by the end of this month, so don't be ridiculous, you paranoid little…girl."

Cleo just looked at her for a long time. Rikki's expression didn't change; she was dead serious.

"Rikki, you don't know how happy I am to hear that," Cleo gushed, a single tear streaming down her face. "How am I supposed to repay you?"

"For what? It was nothing." Her phone started ringing. "Never mind. Tell you what, all you have to do is let me take this call."

"Oh, I have to use the restroom anyway. I'll meet you at the food court!" She walked off.

Rikki finally answered her phone. "Zane?"

"Rikki! Is Cleo around?"

"What a coincidence you called! She just left."

"Good. Look, I'm at the jewelry store with Lewis. He's getting her an engagement ring."

"Another coincidence! We were just talking about weddings."

"You were? Never mind. He wants me to tell you to tell Cleo to meet him at the Valentino restaurant at the Venetian. Tell her to dress up."

"Are we invited?"

"Let's leave them to themselves," answered Zane. "I have to go now. Love you, bye!"

"I love you too," said Rikki, and she hung up. She went to the restroom and caught Cleo just as she walked out the door.

"Why do you look like the Cheshire cat?"

Rikki held her grin and said, "Let's look for gowns."

…

It was nearly seven and the girls, with much effort, finally found a gown for Cleo. They took the limo to the Venetian.

"Are sure all he told you was for me to meet him there?" Cleo asked.

"Yup. Lewis said, 'Rikki, make sure Cleo's at the Valentino at the Venetian by 7 or else.' That was all." Rikki tried so hard to suppress her laughter. She took Cleo's arm and they walked to the restaurant. They stopped just outside. Rikki quickly called Zane while Cleo peered through the tinted glass into the fancy restaurant within.

"Hey, Cleo?"

Cleo looked to her friend.

"You look amazing," said Rikki sincerely. She gave her friend a hug. "I've got to meet up with Zane, so this is goodbye. I'll see you at the hotel."

"Oh, sure," said Cleo. Rikki watched her quickly pull out a mirror and fix her hair.

"Don't worry about a thing," she said, "but just in case, I've gotta say. Good luck with Lewis."

Cleo lifted an eyebrow and flashed her teeth in a devious grin. "Good luck with Zane."

…


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two: Out On the Town

Cleo, clad in a very feminine white dress and her hair in springy curls, was met by a dashing, bouquet-carrying Lewis right on the restaurant entrance, as Rikki could see from a distance. She could feel a fuzzy, warm in her chest, but as the lovers disappeared from her view---she was riding down a steep escalator---her heart picked up a pace and she sensed a cool tinkling in her stomach.

"Oh, please go well," she said, her eyes closed tight.

The last thing she needed was the sight of a sobbing Cleo running to her, disappointed. Then Rikki made her way to the food court, where she had spotted a glass dome overhead. Sitting on a stone fountain directly underneath, she stared at the stars as hard as she could, wishing on all of them that Lewis would be brave tonight.

She sat there for hours, reflecting deeply on Cleo and Lewis's downright beautiful relationship.

She looked around. The shopping center at the Venetian was alive with elegant, old-style lamps and small, busy trinket stands with inventories arranged in pleasant disarray. The aroma of bread and spices wafted through the air. Cutting through the current of restless, wandering shoppers, fancily dressed merchants ran to and fro. Their voices boomed with advertisement after advertisement; some boasted of bargains, others joked with stalling customers, and there were the beefy businessmen who argued with other businessmen on the opposite side of the plaza. Closing her gaping mouth and blinking her wide eyes, Rikki decided that Italy would be a very nice place to visit.

"Where is Zane?" she wondered.

Her question was answered almost immediately. There he was, dressed as semi-formal as she, leaning against a thick stone statue of two Christian nobles. On his lips was a playful smirk, with his fingers he waved a single red rose, and from what seemed a block away, Rikki could clearly see the lustrous, star-like gleam in his eyes.

He raised his other hand and beckoned her to him.

"I think it took you forever to notice me over there," he said to her with a brief kiss on the cheek. Rikki slid an arm around his torso to embrace him---she wanted to tell him how happy she was for her two friends---but he took her small hand in his and gently turned her around to look at the river that floated throughout the Venetian's whole first floor. It was narrow with deep curves. The sight of the swift, silvery-black water was frequently interrupted by long, dark tunnels and sloping bridges, under which was dark as night. Rikki could see that almost always, those who, riding on decorated gondolas, emerged from the darkness were kissing and cuddling.

"How does a romantic voyage through Venice sound?" Zane asked in a smooth, persuasive voice.

Rikki was smelling the rose Zane had brought her, slightly dazed by the unusual strength of its scent. "Sure," she said softly.

Zane led her to tiny wooden dock, where a gondola was waiting patiently. It had the figurehead of a beautiful painted mermaid, red-haired and glimmering with encrusted jewels. The body of the boat was adorned with gems of every kind and was probably the most striking boat she had ever seen.

"Hello, sir, miss," came a distinct Italian voice. From behind strode a tall, dark man. He wore a peach-colored hat with a red ribbon and a shirt striped red and white.

"My name is Umberto. Will I be your gondolier tonight?" he asked, wagging his eyebrows. Zane nodded. "But of course!" Umberto exclaimed. "A lovely young couple like this. Sir, I must compliment your romantic ability. You have chosen Venice, the most romantic city I know apart from Paris, to please this fair lady, such a prize she is!"

This made Rikki blush. Her boyfriend paid Umberto and escorted her into the gondola, which was narrower than she expected. She was squished into Zane but never felt more comfortable. He kissed her hair.

The gondola traveled slowly, giving Rikki the chance to see the grandeur of "Venice." Umberto began to sing, his voice strong and deep, and Rikki completely forgot about Cleo and Lewis. Looking into Zane's chocolate brown eyes, she felt like the only two people who existed were them and the world was perfect.

Rikki's POV

We returned to the suite locked in battle.

It was an exhilarating experience; nothing like it had ever happened to us before. It all started in the elevator up here, and I can't remember if we were alone in there or not. One minute I was whispering to him what a wonderful time I had had; the next his breath was swirling in my head. We may have just returned from a night in "Italy," but the kissing was purely French=)

I remember a loud, barricading noise as we stepped into our suite. The lights had not been bothered on when I felt my back pressing into a soft, cloudlike mattress. I moaned quietly at the delicious taste of his mouth, savoring it like my favorite candy.

His hands were rubbing my body lovingly, caressing my hair, going where he had never gone before.

He was on top of me. I felt his hard chest flex, his warm arms embrace me, and my heart beat a mile a minute. He lifted my shirt and planted a trail of kisses up my stomach. I pulled my shirt over my head, so quickly I thought I tore it. I was trembling with anticipation, amazed at the feeling of his skin against mine. This had happened before, on outings to the beach, but never this intimately.

He began running his fingers over me and then…he stopped.

I gaped at him in the darkness. The digital clock on the television read, in glowing red letters, 10:52. The light behind the blinds, of a splendorous city completely alive, helped me make out Zane's shadow.

He was sitting upright, one arm on the bed and one placed gently on my leg.

"Are you alright, Rikki?"

"What do you mean?"

"Well, first of all you're shaking." When I realized this I stopped. He continued, "And are you okay with…what we were about to do---what I was going to do to you."

That's when I needed a moment to think. I tried to gather in my mind all the reasons toward why I was ready and why I was not.

One; I was eighteen already and could do anything I wanted. Sure, I still lived in my dad's house, but that's because I couldn't afford a job to pay for my own. But, being old enough, I could quickly find one. Here perhaps. Two; I was sure as heck ready to take my relationship with Zane to the next level. We had been living together for over a year! It did seem kind of strange to be calling myself closer than anyone to him when…well…I hadn't done much to prove it. This was a chance to prove how much I loved him, how much I wanted to be with him. Three; what if he wanted to do it? I couldn't disappoint him! Never!

One; then again, he was asking me. It was my choice. I could wait until I was married to him to give him the innocence I had been saving all my life. I could give my family some sort of honor and myself some sort of decency. Two; when had we ever talked about…sex? Oh, Lord! Look at me! I can't even think the word in my mind clearly. I'm definitely still so immature about this. Three; Oh my god! I completely forgot about the possibility of pregnancy. Though I could ask him about it, was I really that brave? Did I trust him enough to take me seriously then, not laugh at me. Was he thinking as I did? Did he care about where I would be if we conceived or was this just an urge brought about by the fact that we were in Las Vegas at the moment? Four; I was definitely scared.

"Zane?"

"Yes?"

My courage faltered a little. I pulled the thin sheets over me. Me and my shirtless body. I never felt so exposed, so insecure. Now, for the first time, I was fearful of Zane.

"Rikki?" His voiced echoed in the room, or perhaps it was just my head.

Gulping, dryly, I opened my mouth and stammered, "C-Could we wait?"

Surprise spread over me when I felt him lie down next to me and throw an arm around my frozen body.

"Of course, sweetheart," he said brightly, and I could feel the sincerity in his voice, "I would never force you into doing something you didn't want to do."

"Really?" I asked breathlessly.

"I promise."

END RIKKI'S POV

…

The night was spent, quickly and quietly, with Rikki snuggled within Zane's arms. He had taken off his shirt and his jeans, telling her it was uncomfortable to sleep with them, but Rikki suspected that he may have done it with another purpose in mind. She had this gutsy feeling that he did that so intentionally as to give her dreams of him, not dirty, but certainly _good_. She was thinking of his well-toned body when, _Snap_! she awoke to it, as real and as perfect as she had imagined.

The bright morning light paled the room, blurring and whitewashing her surroundings, making her feel as if she were still dreaming.

She looked around the room, the furniture deep, finished burgundy and the carpet a complimenting maroon. She was in Zane's bedroom and nothing was askew since yesterday. His luggage, a single duffel bag, was in the corner, plump and unopened.

She noticed that the bed was a king-size, far bigger than the twin she had at home. The space on it was vast, making her feel quite small. She looked up and found red cloth rolled up on the wooden frame. This was a canopy she carefully unfurled. The entire space of the bed was now warmer and very dark, which she found convenient because the sound of Zane's breathing was deep, rumbly, and comfortable. He was obviously far from waking up.

She gave him a soft peck and stole out of his bedroom and into the next, which happened to be on the other side of the suite. It was a lengthy run, but she got there, again amazed at the sheer grandness and tasteful furnishing.

Her room was fancier and decorated dark purple and gold, much like a queen's quarters. Her room had no windows but a direct door entry to the balcony. Stepping out on it, she was overcome by the thick, earthy smell of the city and began to dearly miss the sight of the ocean in the morning. The balcony was small, but faced the Strip. She could see a thick row of cars and palm trees, already packed sidewalks, and two amber colored, modern looking buildings: the Wynn and the Encore. She figured this was the place for higher-class visitors, as she could see a line of black and white stretch limousines disappearing into underground parking lots.

Examining her own hotel, she found that the building was a bit less elegant. Staring downwards she could see a large pool and pirate ship display with many people flocked around it. She concentrated and could hear faint music rising from it, catchy rock slash pop music and a chorus of female voices. Then, Rikki began hearing something else. She inclined her head in the other direction, in which cars entered the Strip.

There was flurry of honks and beeps. She could see large trucks and SUVs with people, teenagers, hanging off the sides, their arms waving into the air. Their screams and shrieks met her ears. "SPRING BREAK! SPRING BREAK YEAH!"

Well, it didn't exactly feel like spring here, but okay.

The glass door behind her slid open. Zane was there, his skin reddish for some reason.

"Er, Rikki? We have visitors," he said.

"Emma! Ash!" Rikki exclaimed, jumping into their arms.

Lewis appeared behind them. "I called them after last night," he exclaimed, "and they were on their way immediately."

"Of course we were! What's better than Spring Break in Las Vegas? Woo!" Ash, though he had grown a tiny, tiny bit of a moustache and beard, looked younger. His eyes were just as humorous and bright as they were before that silly thing called college got into his and Emma's way.

Emma was looking stunning. Her skin had been tanned into a light gold and her blonde hair was much longer. The last time Rikki saw her she was leaving for school, with reading glasses and a nerdy looking uniform on, but now she appeared ready to party.

"Speaking of last night," she said, totally ignoring Ash's playful shouting and running around the inside of the suite, "where _is _Cleo?"

"Present!" chimed a bright, happy voice. Cleo had hopped in out of nowhere and was flashing a beautiful pink sapphire ring.

"Dear god, look at the size of that thing!" Emma gasped.

"Lewis got it to match my locket," Cleo commented as Emma admired it closely.

"And it's your favorite color," sighed Emma. "I've never seen a more perfect ring for a more perfect couple."

"What did I tell you?" Rikki said to Cleo with a smirk.

Cleo and Lewis, like Emma and Ash, were fully dressed in what looked like the garb for a long day on the town: walking shoes, comfortable shirt, shorts. Rikki looked down at herself. She was in her pajamas, with Zane's shirt to top it off.

"You'll go get changed. Now," said Cleo, who had once noted on how she always wore silk to bed nowadays.

So they did and the group of six went out. They didn't hop on a limo, however, which Rikki realized she didn't like so much. Lewis, rather standoffishly, requested to buy the sapphire blue Cadillac displayed in one of the casinos and got his wish. Many people flocked to take pictures as Lewis and his friends boarded the expensive luxury car.

Ash, the best driver, pulled onto the Strip, but soon found himself stuck in a massive jam, glaring heatedly as a truck way up in front was being towed out of the waters of the Treasure Island pirate display.

"Yo ho! Yo ho!" the immature teenagers cried, hopping in the vehicle for the ride.

"It's always like this in America?" Emma wondered aloud.

Lewis chuckled. "Only on Spring Break. Today we're going to celebrate at my favorite Chinese restaurant, Ash and Em's arrival and my engagement!" he announced dramatically.

"Give it a rest. The backseat's not big enough for your giant ego," Zane grumbled, wiping the sweat off his forehead. There was only room for five in the whole car, two in the front; Emma and Ash had honors; and three in the back; Rikki was sitting on Zane's lap.

Two hours later. "And you'd like to live here, Cleo?" asked Emma, annoyed by the traffic, the noise, and watching people, half-naked, run around the cars hollering at the top of their longs.

"The shopping's better," Cleo said sheepishly. "It's not always like this, Em, stop being so judgmental."

One hour later. "It. Is. So. Hot." Rikki banged her head on the boiling glass. "Couldn't we just go to the mall for lunch? Or maybe somewhere in the hotel?"

"None of you have been eating well," Lewis said smartly.

"Can I say I'm absolutely _tired _of restaurants, love?" Cleo told him.

"After all the money I spent on you, you say that to me?" Lewis said, offended.

"Honestly, Lewis, you could have just waited until it was dark to show off how rich you are?" Zane answered with a hiss.

"What?!"

"It's not his fault it's Spring Break!" said Cleo.

"Guys, shut up!"

"Don't tell us to shut up, Ash, when you've been the one complaining about traffic every five seconds!" shouted Emma, who had been quietly enduring the torture and was just about ready to explode under the heat.

Rikki didn't take part in the argument. She took out her anger on the Spring Breakers, lighting their clothes on fire and wrecking their cars from the window.

"Don't do that _please_, Rikki. _They are enough trouble as it is…and so are you_," said Ash furiously.

"What was that?" Zane said defensively.

"Oh, you're all trouble," muttered Ash.

"Do you know that you're half the reason we're acting like this?" said Zane.

"You're such a stresshead," Cleo growled.

"I'm out," said Rikki, opening the car door and stepping out.

"Now, look what you've done," Zane sneered.

"Right. Blame me for everything!" Ash cried.

"Guys, maybe we can all work this out," suggested Lewis calmly.

"You _guys_ do," said Emma, leaving the car to catch up with Rikki.

"Right behind you," Cleo muttered exasperatedly as she clambered out of the car.

…

Not very long after the disaster in the car, the girls were joking and laughing as if they never knew the boys. They were on a mission to do something to celebrate at every major resort/hotel in Las Vegas.

They took horse riding lessons at Caesar's Palace, though Emma already knew how. They went to the Flamingo and saw shows. At the MGM Grand they dared each other to let the Siberian tiger free (they did and then ran away screaming). At Circus, Circus they played kid games, won nothing, and bought all the families ice cream cones. At the Flamingo, they danced in the hottest club. At the Luxor they rode the elevator ten times. At Excalibur the watched jousting matches. At New York, New York, they walked around pretending to be American. And, at Mandalay Bay, the Bellagio, and the Mirage, they bought loads of souvenirs for people they didn't even know.

Meanwhile, the boys weren't having the slightest bit of fun. They were locked tight into a game of poker, which many people gathered to watch. All three seemed to be playing well, except all Ash would do was bluff, never putting a penny on the table.

The game ended in a draw and it seemed that the boys finally started to like each other again.

The six met at the Golden Peacock to celebrate after all.

"A toast," said Ash, lifting up his glass, "to the future Mr. and Mrs. Lewis McCartney!"

They toasted and then delved into a discussion about what the baby would look like.

"I think," said Lewis, taking another swig from his glass, "that it will have a mermaid body on top and the lower body of a human."

"Then it would just look normal," said Emma.

"No it would not!"

"I think he's had too much to drink," said Cleo.

"Oh, yeah," said Ash, taking away Lewis's Coke.

Lewis's head fell on his empty plate.

"He's just nervous," Rikki said, patting Cleo's back.

"Hey, wake him up! Who's going to pay for this bill!" exclaimed Zane, examining, astounded, the bill the waitress had placed on the table. They ate a lot.

Cleo took out Lewis's wallet and paid. She was about to wake her fiance up when Rikki banged her fist on the table.

"Where are the fortune cookies?!"

"No cookie," said the tiny waitress, who had appeared suddenly, "we have free fortuneteller over there." She pointed to a curtained doorway with a sign over it that read "Madam Myna." Under it a smaller sign read "Couples: $5.00."

Cleo fished a bill from her purse and dragged the half-conscious Lewis through the curtain. Half an hour later she and Lewis returned.

"That was wonderful," Cleo said dreamily.

"But weird," added Lewis.

"I want a try!" And Emma and Ash went, coming out an hour later smiling.

"Well, then?" said Rikki, looking at Zane. "Shall we?"

The booth was incredibly cramped. She was motioned to sit on one of two red cushions on the floor.

"I am Madam Myna," said the fortuneteller in a hoarse whisper. Wrapped in exotic cloth and draped with battered-looking jewels, she looked ages old and was hunched over a pool of liquid.

"I can see past, present, and future, everything else I need to know about…" Madam Myna trailed off, her voice mostly air. She drew her arms around the large bowl and looked deeply into it. "Rikki Chadwick and Zane Bennett," she stated, "is written in your reflection. Look into the Pool of Verity and I will unlock the mysteries within."

Neither Rikki nor Zane could understand her fully, but they leaned in anyway. To their surprise, the liquid on Rikki's half turned white while the side on Zane's turned black. They did not mix.

"Oh," said Madam Myna, "the last two couples were both blue and red, mixing to make purple, the color of the divine riches and a near perfect life." She paused silently, rubbing one of the beads on her necklaces thoughtfully.

"White is the sign of innocence and purity, black the sign of…power. A very rare combination indeed…" She choked painfully, as if holding back a scream. "And no mix. The sign of incompatibility."

Zane and Rikki gasped in shock.

"Your pool reads many hardships to come and an unclear, but very climactic end. You two will fall into the claws of deception and confusion, so, so soon. Take heed, my advice: prepare for the worst." She reached into the folds of her thick cloak and pulled out a tiny glass vile and a crescent shaped pendant. "Drink this now, boy," she said, pushing the bottle into Zane's hands, "it will calm your spirit. Rikki, take the pendant. It will protect you…" She pulled her head up and stared at them both, her eyes amber like a dying sun. "Be wary of what lurks in the night."

Madam Myna watched as the two dazed youth left her booth. She blew out her candle and smiled in the darkness.

Up until midnight she continued to smile. Then, a blurred image flew into her mind of Rikki and Zane going to sleep in their beds. Madam Myna then laughed, a cold, ear-piercing cackle. With much effort, she hoisted herself up and stepped into the dark, humid air of the rear end of the building. She looked up at the sky and studied the thin C-shaped sliver of white that was the moon.

She laughed again, but this time the sound was more savage, more animal-like. A sort of roar escaped her throat as she turned into a beast the size of a car. Then she took off, flapping her disgusting black wings and flew, like lightning, thousands of feet into the sky. She had a revolting beak the shape of a crumpled horn and a long, crooked that, like the rest of her oddly formed body, was covered in hard, scale-like feathers.

She scanned through the city, traveling only in the shadows, searching for prey.

…

AN: OK, I know this chapter is about a thousand words shorter than the last one and took for some reason took longer to right, but bear with me, please? I'm a slow writer sometimes…

Hope you enjoyed! But if you have any suggestions or good ideas for this story, please DO NOT hesitate to tell me! I'm always open!

I'd also like to here about what you thought of that part written in Rikki's Point of View. I've never written in first-person before, actually.

The title still may not make sense, but you'll see…

Hopefully, the next chap will be up soon, so don't worry!


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three: Sickness

A sudden storm had descended the city that night. What was once the hottest Spring Break hang-out, like an early escape to the freedom of summer, was now ravaged and crumbling. All of the hotel complexes were not designed to withstand extreme weather, as they were situated in a parched Western wasteland. They buckled under the strength of the weather, and until the morning when the storm had subsided (simply dissolving while the bright and arid weather returned), no person could rest…

Especially a certain group of teenagers.

*O*O*O*O*O*

**ZANE'S POV**

Fire. Fire. Surging through my veins like electricity.

It started the moment I lay down, right after I said goodnight to the love of my life. My bed seemed safe, warm, and soft; but in seconds I was clutching the edges, my muscles contracting as if I were trying to lift a thousand pounds. In fact, that's what it felt like. Like a 1-ton anvil pressing against my chest and all I could do was move my limbs, searching for a way out but in vain.

The pressure on my lungs and my need for air was a battle barely won. For once I thought the weight had been lifted, but a feeling like a bullet, small and precise, pierced through the skin right in the pit of my stomach. I felt myself scream, but the nerves and muscles in my throat were constricted, squeezed so tightly together it felt like ten daggers stabbing my over and over again.

My body was killing me.

Like I said before, fire. Heat, agonizing heat, singed my nerves, sending all my senses into chaos.

I could smell boiling sulfur, stinging my nose. I could see swirling colors: black, red, and a blinding white light that came with each of my screams. I could taste blood on my tongue, though it was cold and tasted unbelievably bitter, like a solution of unbrewed coffee. I could feel the blood escaping my skin, through long, gash-like wounds.

And the worst sound that could possibly reach my ears, that could crush my soul the second I heard it, was the terrorized scream of Rikki Chadwick. It was like she were being attacked and was screaming for her life. That girl was all I lived for, and if she goes, I guess it means I should follow right after…

I tried to move.

I guided my right arm into the air, but it was like I were trying to move through wet concrete. That combined with the pain I already felt sent my body back flat on the bed.

I tried---I don't know how many times---to move, to get to her. The pain kept rushing at me in waves, each one getting stronger.

The end was near…or at least I hoped. I didn't know how long I would be this way, fighting a battle against some unknown, hateful force.

**END ZANE'S POV**

*O*O*O*O*O*

**RIKKI'S POV**

All I could see was white. All around me: vast spaces of nothing. I looked down and realized that the only source of color was myself. Still in blue boy shorts and an oversized red shirt (my usual sleep outfit) I was wandering through an endless, blank world. The atmosphere was strange; it wasn't too cold, wasn't too hot, there was no breeze, yet it still felt odd. I made no shadow. I opened my mouth to speak, and though I could feel the movement in my throat, I made no sound.

I wasn't breathing either! I mean, I could breath, but after a few minutes without air I was still fine.

It was some weird dream, and I figured it was time to wake up. Maybe if I went down for some hot chocolate I would have more interesting dreams…or no dreams at all.

So I tried. I closed my eyes and took a deep gulp of air and---white. All I could see was white.

Panicked, I pinched myself. I dropped myself on the ground, rubbed my eyes real hard, tried to scream; with no success.

No noise was made. Without another thought, I ran. Of course, my silent footsteps took me nowhere. I persisted, faster, not tiring at all.

And then I fell.

Down. Down. Down. _Splash! _Right into pandemonium.

One second I was gasping for breath in the darkness of what I suspected was my room, and in a flash I was back in the world of blankness. I felt thick bed sheets, for the tiniest moment. Then all feeling disappeared, except for the gentle brush of bubbles on my skin. I kept flashing in and out of my dream. When the flashes quickened, I grew afraid. Shrugging into a fetal position, I jammed my eyes shut, bracing myself for whatever would happen next.

_RIIIIIIIIP!!!_

The sound was thunderous, as if a whole mountain had been torn in two. The roar swelled and swelled until it started to hurt. Soon enough I was shrieking in pain; the sound wasn't echoing in my head, it was thrashing like an angry colossal beast. I could feel myself banging my forehead against a hard surface, but things weren't getting better. Not at all.

**END RIKKI'S POV**

*O*O*O*O*O*

**Only three hours earlier…**

"EMMA! BEHIND YOU!" Ash yelled through the thick clouds of dust around him. "EMMA!" he continued to shout, as he struggled to lift a steal beam off of him. The twenty-second floor had crumbled completely into the twenty-first, and it seemed that it was sinking too.

"Ash!" cried Lewis, running to help him out of the debris. "We've got to help these people out of here!" He pointed to a large group of coughing people limping and stumbling to the emergency staircase. "It's going to break down any minute and so's the whole hotel!"

"What about the girls!"

"CLEO! EMMA!" Lewis hollered. About one hundred feet away Cleo and Emma were on the floor, helpless on land as they were turned into mermaids by the torrential rain. Both were waving their arms around madly, using their powers like they never had before.

What looked like a horribly mutated crow was snapping at them and spitting beams of black energy in every direction. Emma could barely defend the both of them with just ice. Cleo was creating monstrous winds to try and blow the creature away, but with its massive wings outstretched, it was as movable as a boulder.

Lewis and Ash rushed to the girls and tried to sling them over their backs so they could escape, but they were met with determined protest.

"We've got it!" Cleo said, spinning her arms in a circle, drawing a flood of water from thin air and forming it into a vortex around the monster. After it became fully enveloped, "NOW EMMA!"

She used her power to freeze the vortex, concentrating to lower the temperature and strengthen the bind as hard as she could---

Cleo used her winds to push the frozen block off the building, destroying an entire wall in the process. The foundation shuddered.

Cleo fainted. Lewis ran to pick her up (and she weighed a ton)."We've got to get out NOW!" he shouted. And they did, barely, with Emma coating the floors and stairs with ice so the four of them, as well as the other guests, could slide their way out.

The first floor was flooded with almost eight feet. Everywhere they turned they saw floating cars, shattered furniture, and---to their horror---bodies.

Lewis shook the unconscious mermaid awake. "Cleo, honey, wake up! You've got to wake up, get yourself to saf---NOOOO!" His voice ran hoarse as he stared at the thick stream of blood gushing from the top of her head down over her face.

"Lock your arms!" Emma shrieked through tears. Ash locked one arm onto one of Lewis's, who was clutching Cleo tight to his chest, cursing the world. "Hold on tight!"

Emma reinforced her grip on Ash's arm, pulled him in for a kiss, and plunged, pulling the others with her. She swam at top speed through the rising waters, dodging countless masses of wood and flesh…

Only to be captured by ebony talons.

*O*O*O*O*O*

Emma woke and found herself in what looked like a giant vase. Above her, up in the sky, was a tiny half moon surrounded by millions of stars. She swam up, finding that her tail wasn't sore (She had been caught by the tail in the bird's claws before she had become unconscious.). Cautiously peeking her head above the rim, she saw a dimly lit expanse of desert.

She heard a loud rustling and ducked her head.

A tall, sleek woman who seemed in her mid-twenties strode magnificently along the sandy ground. She wore an elegant black dress that hugged her voluptuous body, a dark cape that billowed in the gentle wind, and in each of her hands she held the end of a chain.

She jerked the chains hard and two raggedy young men stumbled to her side. Emma recognized them at once. Immediately she focused on the woman and tried to freeze her solid, but she found she couldn't. She stared at her hands and nothing seemed wrong, but then she noticed the water she was in. It was cold, thick, and had a slight glow of purple. Whatever the solution was, it took away her powers.

"Ash!" Emma cried, nearly jumping out of the vase. What else could she do?

"Ah, I see you've finally recovered," said the woman in a long, drawling voice. There was an icy edge to her voice that chilled their bones.

"What do you want from us?!" said Emma savagely.

The woman didn't answer.

"I'll do anything!" Ash suddenly cried. "Anything! Just don't hurt her!"

The woman laughed. "Don't be silly," she said in a sickeningly sweet voice. "Now that we're all _finally _well, why would I hurt you?"

"Who are you? Where are my other friends?" Emma spat at once.

"Don't you remember?" the woman said with a laugh, flashing a brilliant smile. "I'm Madam Myna from the Golden Peacock." She turned into a tiny cloaked woman, grinned, and changed back.

"She's a witch," came a quiet voice. It was Lewis, who had his head bowed low and his shoulders slumped.

"Lewis," Emma said, fighting against the lump in her throat, "is Cleo alright?"

He shook his head.

Emma let out a pained squeal. First Rikki and now her. It was too much to bear and she didn't know what to do. She felt like resting at the bottom of the base and never coming out, but she couldn't after a snap of Madam Myna's fingers. It was as if a tight net had surrounded her and lifted her up out of the vase. "Let me go," Emma demanded. Madam Myna flicked her wrist and Emma dropped ten feet onto the hard ground.

She struggled a bit to get herself up. She found small scratches on her arms and some of her scales had been scraped off. Rubbing her injuries gingerly, a sharp hiss escaped her lips, both from the pain and the anger. Always tolerant of anyone mean or stupid, she found herself feeling amazed at how wonderful the idea of revenge sounded, this being the first time it crossed her mind. She vowed to destroy that witch.

"Well?" Madam Myna said after a few minutes of silence. Her foot tapped impatiently. Emma was still on the floor, staring furiously into the air. "Aren't you going to change yourself back? Let's go."

"I have to be completely dry first and I'm not going anywhere with you." Emma began to feel power in her fingertips, but Madam Myna was just too quick. A golden band appeared and tightly clamped around Emma's two hands, and they seemed to be getting tighter.

"That'll teach you to speak rudely to _me_," Madam Myna growled, walking over to Emma and swiftly striking her cheek. There was a clinking sound as Ash made a defensive step towards Madam Myna; the chains glowed a bright red and Ash leapt back, yelling as the skin on his ankles and wrists were singed.

Then Emma, Ash, and Lewis were swept into the air.

"Let's go," Madam Myna said darkly. She swished her cape and made her way to two large boulders with peculiar markings on them. She walked to the space in between them and blew the sand from the floor with a single hand motion. A long, narrow metal door was revealed and it opened to a steep staircase leading into darkness.

Soon the group of four innocent teens found themselves visiting the witch's lair, a drafty cave that stretched for miles underground.

Large green torches provided the light they needed to see the skulls and sharp weapons hanging from the ceiling, the shelves of potions and ingredients, and giant stone sculptures of horrific creatures.

"It's marvelous, isn't it?" Madam Myna said grandly, her arms outstretched, worshiping her own achievement.

"Marvelous," Ash and Lewis muttered quickly.

"Marvelous," Emma said quickly.

"You guys are smart, aren't you," Madam Myna said playfully, "I'd give you treats but I haven't got any."

She led them to a large stone dining table. Snapping her fingers three times, Emma, Ash, and Lewis were sitting in the seats and the chains had disappeared.

"Would you like to have a bit to eat? Or something to drink, perhaps?"

They shook their heads.

"Good. I don't have anyone to cook food or serve anyway, which is why you're here." She craned her head to get a closer look at her guests. Ash and Emma were holding hands and close to each other, both trembling. Lewis had his head bowed. He was fumbling with a silver ring. Painted on each of their faces was a mixed expression of pain and sorrow.

"I wonder what it would take to lighten you all up," she said, tapping her painted nails on the table. "I don't suppose the lack of three certain someones is what's getting you all down."

They bowed their heads. If they looked at her face they feared they'd go mad.

"What if I said if there was a way to recover said souls…if I gave you the way…" She folded her hands and leaned forward. "Would you be pleased?"

"You took them away," accused Emma, now staring the witch straight in the eye, "we wouldn't need to be grateful. It was our loss and your mistake. If you tried to fix or make up for it, we shouldn't think any higher of you. We hate you and you owe us."

"I was being polite."

"What would you know about being polite?!"

Madam Myna and Emma glared at each other for a few moments. One was simply confident while the other was flared up and ready to fight.

"Can we talk?" asked Lewis, looking to Ash and Emma, then to Madam Myna.

"Of course," Madam Myna replied.

The three found a place just outside the dining room.

"We can't make a deal with her," Emma whispered loudly.

"She didn't say anything about a deal. She just wanted to do something to make up for what she did, and all she wants in return is to know that we're pleased."

"Ash?" said Emma nervously, not believing he had really said what he did. She took his face in her hands and stared deep into his eyes. "Are you okay? What did she do to you?"

He pulled his shirt off, displaying scars of all shapes and sizes. Some were bleeding; some looked infected; some just made Emma want to cry again.

"I can't believe---But Ash we can't trust her at all! How do you know we'll be able to get out after this?"

"He doesn't," Lewis said grimly. He obviously wasn't as rebellious as Ash, as he didn't have any visible wounds. "All I want now and all I ever wanted, was for Cleo to be happy. That won't happen if she's dead. And what about Zane and Rikki? They never even had a chance! Remember that time after dinner? She gave them a locket and a potion. She could've murdered them early and I think both of them wanted to die an honorable death---to die fighting."

"I think I see where you're going with this," said Ash.

"Did it ever occur to you that Madam Myna could be listening to every word we say?" pointed Emma.

"Em," he said sincerely, "I don't trust her either. If she thinks she'll win by tricking us or something, it won't work. Look, she's giving us the chance to get Rikki and Cleo back. You're one mermaid. If we have three, we can take her on, win, and move on with our lives."

"That's your plan? It's a little simple compared to others," Emma said doubtfully.

"It's the only one we have so far unless you've got a better one. And I'm open ears to that one too."

"I understand, Lewis. You really want Cleo back." Emma sighed.

"I'm willing to give my life for her."

"Then I guess we're taking the witch up on her offer," said Ash.

They slowly walked back to the dining room.

"I'm surprised, Lewis," Emma whispered. "You often make decisions based on careful research and observation."

"I did…Before I got married."

"Lewis! What?!"

"Sorry. We went to one of those little chapel thingies."

"You didn't invite us! Ash, do you know what this _moron_ did?"

"Hey, she found out she was pregnant and we both panicked!"

"I think you should've waited 'til you were older, Lewis," said Ash.

"You sicken me," said Emma. "I was supposed to be a bridesmaid! W-We---The three of us girls were discussing the _ceremony _and we thought up the _perfect_ plan and you ruined it! No Anne of Green Gables theme, no beautiful cottage on the countryside, no great color coordination! No strawberry and angel food cake! No carriages! Ugh! All my good ideas went to waste. I _honestly_ thought you were _mature_! I am really, really, _really _mad…"

Lewis walked on, listening to Emma's nonstop hissing. "Wow, Ash and Emma are two are really angry people," he thought.

When they entered the dining room they found their seats and sat quietly.

"You've made you're decision?" Madam Myna said with another smile.

"Yeah," Emma grumbled.

"And?"

"Yeah."

Madam Myna stared at her quizzically. "So you've agreed to take my help?"

"Yeah."

"Well, I have certain conditions, you know," Madam Myna began. "First of all, to save three souls, I'll need to take three souls."

"What, you're going to kill us?" Ash said with his fist on the table.

"You don't seem as gloomy as before. I think I liked it better then," said Madam Myna. "No more questions."

The lights seemed to dim and a large grin stretched across Madam Myna's pointed face. "The reason I attacked you six, the reason I destroyed half of Las Vegas, was to capture you and make you my servants."

Emma's stomach turned in disgust while Ash and Lewis felt a tiny ounce of joy since they didn't have to die.

"How do you expect _us_ to serve you?" then asked Lewis, referring to himself, Ash, and Zane.

"I can give you more power than you ever imagined. I can make you immortal and I can grant you more happiness than all the riches of the world can give you. All I want is six forever loyal servants."

"Will we be doing evil things?" Emma squeaked.

"That will be all up to me."

"Okay, okay, so how do we get those souls back?" asked Lewis.

"I WILL NO LONGER TOLERATE QUESTIONS!" Madam Myna screeched. She pulled out a great sword and hurled it at Lewis, sending him cowering over the table.

To his surprise, when he looked back up, the sword was sticking out of the table, having pierced through the stone, the size of a letter opener.

"It changes size according to the user's will, never breaks, and guides the user to a victory every time, so you don't need to train with it," Madam Myna said in a bored tone. "You can have it. I've already used it once."

"So this is my source of my never imagined power?"

"NO QUESTIONS!" She saw the look on Ash's face. "Oh, don't be jealous. Here, have a bow that shoots lightning." She tossed him an arrow head. "You're supposed to hit it with lightning or electricity first, though."

Emma looked to her like she wanted one too.

"NO!" Madam Myna thundered, shaking the whole cave. "Now," she went on in a calm voice, "I want you boys to know that, in order to carry out my jobs thoroughly, you'll have to go through a transformation. And, to be honest, I'll have to change you two more than I thought I would. Here, take these." She held up two vials of amber liquid and slid them across the table. They went directly to the boys, who drank them down curiously.

"Oh!" Emma, Ash, and Lewis gasped as they saw that the vials gave puffed them up with large, round muscle. Both boys flexed their arms experimentally.

"Lift the table," Madam Myna ordered firmly. "As you can see," she said to the boys who had both been able to lift the heavy slab of stone over their heads, "the potion gives you super strength. Use it wisely and don't stomp on the ground too hard. I'm warning you."

Ash stomped on the ground absentmindedly. The ground quaked so hard Madam Myna and Emma toppled out of their seats.

"DID I NOT WARN YOU?!"

"No---I mean 'Yes'---Or no, I---Uhm, please don't hurt me!"

"DON'T YOU DARE BEG MERCY FROM ME, BOY! I'VE BEEN GOOD TO YOU YET!"

"Ash, sit," Emma said in a low voice.

"Moving on," Madam Myna said, clearing her throat, "the last part of the transformation involves my casting a spell." She mumbled a few words under her breath. Hot black smoke erupted from the air and swallowed Ash while icy white smoke snaked around and enveloped Lewis. When the clouds dissolved, Ash and Lewis were on the floor, dizzy and mumbling nonsense.

"You'll figure out the results later. Spells take time. Now, I'll need you all to sign an agreement." She produced three scrolls, which hurtled through the air and unfurled before them. Quills and bottles of ink arrived soon afterward.

"Uhm, the agreement only presents our name and a line to sign on. We can't know what we're agreeing too," said Emma.

"The name is there in case you've forgotten your name and don't know what to sign. It happens sometimes. And I don't want you to know exactly what you're agreeing to. It wastes time getting business done and causes lots of arguing in the future. It's all my doing, dear, I like to cause trouble."

"Why?"

"I AM A WITCH AND I LOVE HATE, DESTRUCTION, DECEPTION, AND FIGHTING! _THAT'S_ WHY I DO THE THINGS I DO! SIGN THE DAMN PAPER!"

They quickly scrawled their names.

"Excellent," Madam Myna said, bowing her head in thanks.

"Now, you're wings should be sprouting out in a few seconds so I advice you take your shirts off if you want to use them again."

Their shirts had already been ruined enough by her, so they didn't bother.

The boys each grew eagle's wings that reached a total wingspan of sixteen feet. Ash's pair was black while Lewis's was white. With one flap Lewis found that he could take off a pretty good distance from the ground. He flapped twice and hit his back against the stone ceiling.

"Those are delicate so be careful with them. They release at your will. Now on to what you've got to do. You're job would've been much easier if those three died and went to Hell, because I could just send you there to get them, but they're in Heaven at the moment and I don't have access. So instead I'm going to turn back time two years---"

"Two years!" the three yelled in unison.

"WELL, I ONLY KNOW ONE TIME-TRAVEL SPELL AND IT'S FROM A STUPID BOOK! FOR GROUP USES, IT CALLS FOR A MINIMUM OF ONE YEAR PER MALE HUMAN! I DIDN'T INVENT THIS SPELL, SO DON'T 'TWO YEARS!' ME!"

"If we get sent back two years, Cleo, Rikki, and I would have _barely_ turned into mermaids!" exclaimed Emma. "Rikki would have barely moved to town, Cleo and Lewis wouldn't be together, and I don't even know if we'll have to coexist with our past selves!"

"Well, from what I know is magical law, a person cannot exist twice at one time, so the day you go back the present you just disappears."

Lewis gulped. "We'll have to just…start over. Me and Cleo…are just friends and…" he trailed off.

"Emma, I won't know you!" Ash whined, though he knew he was wrong. He was just happy he wouldn't need to start over with Emma. _That was _an awkward and frustrating experience.

"You will, you idiot," said Emma, planting a kiss on his forehead.

"Oh, don't. Don't rub it in," Lewis said angrily.

"Wait!" Emma had just remembered something extremely troubling. "The girls won't have the second powers they have now! Oh! I'll have so much to explain. They won't know about keeping the secret or the full moon!"

"Yes, but they also won't know that they'll die in three years."

"Does this have to be so confusing?" asked Ash.

"YES. IT. DOES!" Madam Myna coughed. "Well, I'll be keeping an eye on you," she said, holding up a clear crystal ball, "Remember. In exactly three year's time I'll be paying you all a visit and you'll _all _be becoming _mine_." Madam Myna muttered the spell and a swirling blue and yellow portal appeared. "Just step through here."

"Blasted, bipolar witch," Ash shouted at her. He wasn't so happy about his wings or his arrowhead now.

"Blasted, bipolar witch," Emma repeated, louder.

"We'll have to start all over again," Lewis muttered sadly, following the others into the portal.

"Just consider it my curse, m'dears," Madam Myna said with a wave and a grin.

*O*O*O*O*O*

**A/N: Well, this doesn't seem like a Rikki/Zane story now, does it? I suppose everyone has to be a star now. Haha!**

**I'm sorry about Madam Myna. She confuses even me! **

**Review. I'm actually out of REALLY GOOD ideas, so please, if you have any, GIVE ME SOME! If you truly want this story to go on!**

**I don't want to sound like I'm begging, but**

**PLZ PLZ PLZ PLZ PLZ PLZ PLZ!**


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